Rites for Women

I live in a small town in the middle of a whole lot of nowhere. There isn't very much culture running around loose around here. So, what is a woman to do who wants to participate in some good ol' ritual work? The local masonic organization has two women's organizations, but I'm a bit young to enjoy hanging with a group of women who could all be my grandmother (or great grandmother). I love old ladies, but . . . it wouldn't be much of a sisterhood. I could join a coven, but there are three types of covens: ones that say witchcraft is real, but don't really believe it - they are just there to scare their parents or whatever. Then, there are covens that are into the getting naked and having sex and all that fun stuff. The third kind is cool, but doesn't exist anywhere near me.

There are a few other societies in the area, but they were all derived from masonry (or came from the same source). There is a big difference between ritual FOR and BY women, and ritual that is essentially a boy's club that allows women to participate. I think letting women into a men's organization takes away from the point of such a club, while not actually giving the women what they came for (unless all they wanted was to ruin the experience of the men).

There is a place for purely manly ritual, just as there is a place for feminine ritual. There is also room for ritual work that brings them both together - in fact I think it is very important for these two groups to work together - sometimes. It is also important that they are allowed to develop separately.

I look around, and I don't see ritual being treated as an art, or as an important aspect of our community - I'd like to change that. If I can start a women's ritualistic society where I live, one can be started ANYWHERE!

But, first, I need to get a little better acquainted with all the variations and aspects of ritual as it stands today. I can fix something until I know where it is broken. I'd also like to bring some of my ideas, and write them down. Everything looks different on paper than just inside your head.